Wireless communication systems typically include wireless access systems with equipment such as wireless access nodes along with various control and routing nodes that provide wireless access to communication services for wireless communication devices over wireless links. A typical wireless communication system includes systems to provide wireless access across a geographic region, with wireless coverage areas associated with individual wireless access nodes. The wireless access systems exchange user communications between wireless communication devices, service providers, and other end user devices. The user communications typically include voice calls, data exchanges, web pages, streaming media, or text messages, among other communication services.
In some wireless communication systems, more than one wireless communication network can be employed across a similar geographic region, with each wireless communication network including one or more sectors of wireless coverage. For example, a first wireless network employing a first wireless communication protocol can be deployed along with a second wireless network employing a second wireless communication protocol. Separate wireless access equipment can be deployed for each wireless network, such as when a Wireless Fidelity (WIFI) network is deployed over a similar geographic area as a fourth generation Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless network or other wireless networks.
In some examples, it may be beneficial to handoff data communications from a first network to another overlapping network. Some instances where this may be beneficial include moments when the signal strength of the first network is diminished, the speed of the overlapping network is greater, and the security is better on the overlapping network, amongst other possible beneficial handoff moments. As a result, it is necessary to efficiently, quickly, and securely transition a wireless device from the first network to the second network.
Overview
Examples disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and software for rolling over a data communication from one communication network to another. In one example, a method of operating a communication network includes receiving a secure authorization request from a wireless device and authorizing the wireless device based on a security key. The method further includes determining an identifier for a previous communication network, identifying a previous security key from the previous communication network, and integrating the previous security key with the security key to facilitate communication for the wireless device.